One Last Time
by SparrowsFlight
Summary: Rumbelle - Rumplestiltskin and Belle finally meet again, face to face. No magic, no gimmicks, no lies. Rumple is finally ready to tell her the truth. *possibility of minor spoilers for 4x18*


She shouldn't be here. Why the hell did she agree to even come?

It was nearly 2:30 in the morning and Belle was standing in a clearing in the middle of the woods, waiting on her sometime foe and previous captor, Regina to show her face. She had no idea what was so urgent that they had to meet in this manner. Regina wouldn't say over the phone. Everything in her body screamed for her not to come, even though Regina seemed to be on the side of good these days it was hard to forget all the pain that she had caused her. Belle's curious nature however, had won out and so here she stood. She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she would have worn at least a light jacket to shield her from the chilly night air.

A rustling behind her caught her attention, making her jump and back away before Regina revealed herself. Belle sighed and took a deep breath.

"It's about time. What was so urgent that I had to come out here for?" Annoyance weighed heavy in her tone though her stomach was tied in heavy knots. Something big was going to happen here tonight. She could feel it in the air. It was that same gut clenching feeling she had the day she banished Rumple, and she didn't like it.

Regina said nothing to her though she appeared sympathetic. More rustling came from behind Belle, and though she couldn't say that she was entirely surprised when her estranged husband entered the clearing, she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips. It was the first time since the banishment that they were truly coming face to face and Belle felt her heart drop. She wasn't ready for this. She knew that this moment would come eventually but she dreaded it with everything in her.

"Hello, Belle," he spoke quietly though confidently, like everything between them hadn't gone to hell a few months ago.

Rumple looked outwardly as he always did. Cool and in control, his suit of armor perfectly in place to stand up against the world. To anyone else, this Rumple was no different than the man that he had been when she banished him, but Belle knew better. She could see the weariness in his eyes, the extra lines added to his face and the gray in his hair. He stood as tall as ever but she could see the slight hunch in his shoulders as if he carried the weight of the world, which she supposed in some ways that he had. She had done that to him.

Belle shook her head. She couldn't think like that. She had done the right thing, the only thing that she could in that moment and she couldn't change it now no matter what. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to Regina, the anger beginning to come back.

"So, this is it then? What was so important that you had to speak with me right away?"

"It really is important that we met right away," Regina began.

"But not to tell me that Rumplestiltskin would be here as well?"

"I knew you would never hear me out if I told you he were here." Regina was agitated as well, folding her arms over her small frame and casting a glance at her former teacher.

"You're damn right I wouldn't. I still don't have to be here," Belle responded, turning on her heel, thankful that she had mind enough to wear her oft neglected tennis shoes instead of her towering heels. Though she wouldn't minded to have them as an option to throw at several somebodies as well.

"Belle, wait, please just hear us out. I need your help," Rumple called taking a step forward.

Belle stopped, took a deep breath and turned around, marching towards her husband. "Why should I listen to _anything_ that you have to say to me? You lied to me, _again_. On top of everything that has gone wrong between the two of us, you had the nerve to impersonate somebody to get me to help you with whatever you are plotting with those Queens of Darkness. The same people, Rumple, that have tried to hurt me before, and then you think that after being made to look like a fool that I want to hear anything that you have to say to me about it? I'm sorry. I can't listen to your lies anymore."

Rumple closed his eyes and brought a hand up to rest over his heart. She could tell that her words had hurt him, though that was not her intention. He needed to know how she felt though. About how stupid he made her feel when she found out that it wasn't really Hook that she had given the dagger to hide. When he made no move to respond she turned back around and started walking.

"Zelena is alive," Rumple's voice called after her, halting her in her tracks. Once more she turned back to look at her husband.

"Zelena is dead. We all watched her die…" she ventured, her stomach suddenly beginning to feel nauseous.

Rumple shook his head and finally looked at her again. His brown eyes held so much pain. "That's only what you think you saw. It's much more complicated than that." He looked to the ground and removed his hand from his chest, his hands balling up into fists. "Her life essence lived on and made the trip through the past with Emma and the pirate. She killed Marian and took her place with the help of an item, a six leaf clover from Oz. You know how that works?" he asked.

Belle nodded in disbelief. She had come across the six leaf clover in different books in the shop. She didn't know how Zelena managed to get ahold of it, nor did she want to. To think that poor Marian's life had been snuffed out by this crazy woman with a vendetta made her sick. Poor Roland. He would never really know his mother. Then it clicked in her mind.

"But Robin Hood and Roland!" she said turning to Regina. "They left with her. Are you telling me that it was Zelena this whole time? That she's with them now?"

Regina's brow narrowed and her nails dug into the sleeve of her jacket where her arms were crossed. "Yes. She fooled us all. Robin doesn't know the truth yet."

"Wait," she said turning back to Rumplestiltskin and moving to stand before him. His eyes bore into hers and she noted that the weariness ran deeper than she first suspected. "How did you know Zelena was alive? Did you know it was her this entire time?"

"Gods, no!" he responded immediately.

Belle breathed a mental sigh of relief. She didn't think that Rumple would let something horrid like that go on but then again, she knew so little about the true Rumplestiltskin these days that she just had to be sure. "Okay, so how did you know?"

Belle could see the hesitation on his face, his hand coming back over his heart to massage the area. Belle narrowed her eyes at that but made no comment, filing it away to think about later.

"Rumplestiltskin…" she prodded when he still did not answer.

Regina huffed and threw out her accusation. "He's working for her. He's trying to get the Author to write my not so dearly departed sister her own happy ending."

Belle audibly gasped and covered her mouth taking a step backwards. Rumple's eyes darted to the ground and she knew what Regina said to be true. But why? Why on Earth would he ever help that woman? The woman whom had hurt him so very deeply? Belle felt sick.

"Rumple, why?! Why would you help her? She killed Neal. She controlled you!" Belle sputtered out, feeling tears form in her eyes as she remembered how it had felt to pour dirt over the casket of her step son. He had to have a good reason. She prayed he had a good reason.

"Don't you think I know that?" he shot back lifting his head back up to look at her. It was like he had aged all his three hundred years in that moment. His shoulders hunched in and all of his emotions were at war on his face. His fear, his anger. Belle's heart ached for him.

"Her plan was to destroy Regina's happiness by making Robin fall in love with her. It wasn't working so she switched tactics. Now she wants the author to give her her own happy ending while she continues to play house in New York." He sighed and Belle could see tears form in the corner of his eyes though they never fell. When he spoke again it was in hoarse whispers. "Belle...she has me by my strings again. I have no choice in this moment but to do as she bids. She'll come back to Storybrooke soon…"

Belle nodded her head. "So, the reason you went after the dagger… it wasn't just about the power?" she ventured, her heart squeezing at the thought of Rumple falling under that mad woman's clutches once more.

Rumple nodded. "I couldn't take the chance of her having more leverage than she already does. I'm sorry for tricking you Belle, but I had to be sure I got it."

He did seem contrite but she was hurt that he didn't trust her enough, again, to get the dagger himself. Then again, would she have given him the dagger? She would like to think that she would. She had no interest in forcing him to do anything ever again. After the town line and his forced exile she had felt dirty. No better than the likes of Zelena, and the feeling had stayed with her.

"You never said… what is she holding over you now, Rumple? What could make you help her?" She was still astonished by that. Whatever it was had to be something major. Rumple was no fool.

Rumple released a shaky sigh and glanced towards his former pupil whom was listening with rapt attention, and then back to Belle. It was evident that Regina was just as in the dark as Belle was.

"After the night you…" he began but cut himself off with a shake of the head. "I went to New York, to Neal's apartment to stay. Robin Hood and his family were already there. We had an argument and… the next thing I knew it was like all the air had left my body. My chest was so tight and the pain… I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think… Belle… sweetheart, I'm dying."

Belle felt a cold shiver go down her spine as she heard those words for the second time in their relationship. Regina's mouth hung open from the revelation and Belle could feel the lump in her throat grow. With great effort she found her voice again.

"W-what do you mean you're dying Rumple? You can't die except by the dagger… I don't understand."

"My darling Belle…" he whispered wistfully. "In this world what I experienced was called a heart attack. What it truly is, is my past coming back to haunt me. All magic comes with a price and I have been ignoring that cost for sometime now. My dark deeds are changing my heart and there's nothing that I can do to stop it. Before I was able to suppress it with magic. Being outside of Storybrooke no longer made that possible and now it is beyond my magic's ability to repair."

"There has to be some way Rumple. Some potion or some spell. You can't just die and that's it!" Belle argued. Her fear was beginning to win out in her emotions, her anger dissipating with every word her husband spoke.

"Clever girl…" he smiled. "There is a way to save me. The Elixir of the Wounded Heart is the only thing capable of saving me now."

"And Zelena has it…" Belle answered for him, the pieces of the puzzle finally fitting into place. She glanced to where his hand covered his heart and she squeezed her eyes shut. Suddenly that "pirates oath" made a lot more sense to her. Rumple's heart was failing him and there was only one way for him to survive.

"Zelena revealed herself to me while I was recovering in hospital. I had the thief pilfer what I thought was the elixir from her minion's office but she had switched them out. She told me everything. She damn near killed me… she did kill me… when I came to she forced me to make a deal with her. Her happy ending for my life. I had no other choice. She gave me enough to get me back on my feet but I don't know how much time I have left."

"This is all my fault," Belle cut in, tears falling from her eyes.

"What? No!" Rumple tried to reassure her.

"Yes, it is! If I hadn't banished you then you would be fine… I should have thought things through but I was so angry…"

"Rightfully so. I made the wrong choices, backed you in the corner. Belle I'm not angry with you, you didn't do this, sweetheart, please don't place blame on yourself." he begged.

"But all this with the Queens of Darkness and everything?" Belle shook her head and swiped at the tears on her face.

"A shield to hide my true intents. Belle, don't fall apart on me now. I need your help. Perhaps you can save me."

That got her attention and she looked to Rumple expectantly. He was right. Now was not the time to fall apart, especially not in front of the dumbstruck Regina. Now they needed a plan to save Rumple and be rid of the Wicked Witch for real this time.

"What can I do?" she said hoarsely, pushing aside her fears and pain, drawing upon her bravery. Rumple smiled at her.

"Zelena has the elixir true enough. However, we might be able to make one of our own. That's where you come in. I need you to look in all your books, all the books in the shop. Try and find out anything you can about the elixir and how to make it. I'll stall the Author and Zelena for as long as I can. Can you do that?"

Belle looked her pleading husband up and down. Gods how she missed him so much when she had banished him. Now he was leaving her again, but this time she could save him. He was trying his best to be honest. It had taken him long enough but he made the effort all the same.

She nodded her head quickly. "Of course I can."

Rumple offered her a sad but sweet smile before turning to Regina. "I need you to assist her in anything she desires. Make sure those bumbling Charmings don't get in her way and I'll make sure your outlaw is safe. I know you have no reason to trust me right now but I am the only chance you have right now."

Regina sighed but she knew that he was right. He always was. "I'll do my best. You just make sure you don't die. No one kills you but me, understand?" she threatened.

Rumple quirked a brow and chuckled. "Of course, Regina."

Regina looked between the couple and unfolded her arms. "I'll give you guys a minute and then we'll get to work, okay Belle?"

Belle nodded, still in a daze over the information dump that took place. She knew that something big was going to happen here. Oh, how she her gut instinct had been wrong. Regina cast one last glance to Rumple and Belle thought that Regina may have seemed genuinely sad for a moment before she seemed to regain herself and walked down the path, head held high.

For a long moment she and Rumple just stared at each other, both unwilling or uneasy with making the first move. It was Belle's resolve that cracked first and Rumple was knocked back a step by the sheer ferocity of the hug that Belle enveloped him in. Her arms went around his neck as his went around her back and they both clung to each other for dear life. Belle's tears were already falling but she felt her husband's shoulders shaking beneath her grasp and knew she wasn't the only one.

Being in his arms again felt so right. For a moment all of their past transgressions were forgiven and the problems that they faced seemed to meltaway. When had they stopped communicating? That had been their first mistake. Belle vowed that if they figured out a way through this next crisis that no longer would they skate across their issues. Not if they wanted to work. They needed understanding. They had rushed into marriage thinking that they knew each other so well when in fact they had nearly been strangers, navigating through crisis after crisis together. They needed time to get to know one another again. But most of all they needed each other.

"I worry I threw out my chipped teacup too soon," she whispered in his ear between the tears and the sniffling.

He pulled back from their hug but did not release her, an inquiring look upon his face.

"You," she clarified. "I shouldn't have acted so rash that night. You needed to be stopped but I could have found another way. Why didn't you just talk to me Rumple? If you talked to me then we wouldn't be here…" she whispered, agony in her words.

He mulled her thoughts over for a moment before he responded, "I'm a coward, Belle. I have always known it but I didn't want you to see just how much I was but you did anyways…"

"You're not a coward, Rumplestiltskin. You're just afraid. I'm afraid too," she said sliding a hand from his neck to rest over his heart. It beat steadily beneath her palm and she found it hard to believe that this very thing was failing him. Rumple's own palm covered hers and she relished the warmth. "I'm still angry…"

Rumple shook his head, the tears gathered in his eyes as he thought about the last time he was dying and how Baelfire spoke those very same words to him. "I know," he spoke, his voice shaky. "You have every right to be."

"Promise me that we'll find a way to work things out? Being without you, not knowing if you were okay, has been awful. I can't do it again," she confessed.

He wiped the tears from her eyes and hugged her once more before stepping away. Belle mourned the loss of his body already but he continued to hold her hand.

"I promise Belle. I love you."

Belle nodded her head. "I love you too." She slowly released his hand and began to turn away. She needed to get to work finding out about that elixir. She had no idea how long Rumple had and she was not going to let him leave her again. Things weren't resolved between them, there was much to work on but she couldn't let their story end like this. She would save him. She glanced back at him over her shoulder once more. Belle offered a smile and whispered her love again before she was gone from view.

Rumple had to take several shuddering breaths to keep himself from falling apart. He clutched his hand to his chest again. The pain had been getting worse and harder to work through, brief attacks growing more frequent and lasting longer. The small bit of elixir that he had had was wearing off entirely.

He clutched his chest tighter, the pain from that spasm nearly taking his breath away. That was when he knew that despite his best hopes, they wouldn't find the cure before this price ran its course. He smiled ruefully as the pain finally began to lessen as the attack faded away.

At least he got to see Belle, one last time.


End file.
